Journalist and writer Justine Frangouli's book The Lonely
Path of Integrity, recently published, is a highly significant work of research.
It deals with the personality of Spyridon, former Archbishop of America. Proini
has published extracts from the new book so as to give readers a fuller idea
of who Spyridon was, how he came to be elected Archbishop of America, and
how, after three years in office, he was removed, and in what circumstances.

Spyridon, therefore, was no ordinary person, and the impartial reader can
learn much from this book without having to assume a position for or against
this or that figure who contributed to his remaining in office or his removal.
It is in this spirit that the review which follows has been undertaken. Its
intention is to give a brief account, without insulting or offending anyone.
It should be noted that I do not know the subject of this book, apart from
having seen him at two public events.

So this able journalist deserves all praises for her courage in taking on
the study of Archbishop Spyridon's personality and particularly his three-year
tenure on the Archiepiscopal throne of America. With a fine sensitivity, typical
of herself, the author sketches Spyridon's childhood, adolescence, maturity
and student years as well as his priestly and episcopal ministry. She brings
to us dynamic highlights of his life, richly illustrated. She puts forth the
life of a man of his own mind, who focused on the unbreakable duet of Greek
Orthodoxy and Hellenism and who was betrayed by the very people expected to
support him.

It is only when we identify with him, when we imagine ourselves in his position
(for we cannot become archbishops ourselves) within a hostile environment,
without competent assistants to work with, surrounded by hostile metropolitans,
that we shall understand what a struggle it was for him to remain in office,
as he attempted to remedy the organizational and functional structure of the
Archdiocese, to consolidate monasticism as a genuine part of Church life,
to amalgamate the Old with the New Calendar, and to fully implement Orthodox
traditional institutions (that we shall speak of below).

From his time as Metropolitan in Italy, his orientation became apparent from
his efforts to preserve Orthodoxy in a country where Roman Catholicism is
extremely influential. As the author describes in her book, these efforts
depict what his background had been from a very early stage.

Part Two

In the second part of Justine Frangouli's book, we are given an account of
those Orthodox traditional institutions that Archbishop Spyridon set about
to implement, thus emerging as a real spiritual leader. We are also presented
with a detailed account of the tragic circumstances of his resignation.

As to how objective the account of events is, this becomes apparent from the
unadorned way in which these events are orderly narrated and linked with the
individuals involved, who, I believe, determined the brevity of the Archbishop's
tenure. All the action turns upon the Patriarch's ambiguous personality
and those who were, to all appearances, associated with him in America and
at the Phanar, as well as in Greece.

Who could object to those traditional Orthodox institutions which Spyridon
attempted to implement: the enhancement of Byzantine music, the use of the
frock (rason) for priests if they so wished, fasting, the freedom of language
in the Liturgy, the consolidation of monasticism, the veneration of icons,
conscious participation in eucharistic worship - in spite of all opposition
by the church establishment?

Even in this account one clearly sees the objective and realistic presentation
attempted by the author, a presentation intelligible to any reader of good
faith. If only Orthodox faith and worship were truly like this!

If we look at Spyridon's ministry from a negative point of view (that
is by assuming that his actions brought dissension to the Greek American community,
that he did not enjoy the support of the faithful and that he was an autocratic
spiritual leader), we shall notice that the author does not take up a position
on this, but leaves it to the readers to judge by offering them a rich documentation
verbatim. At this point the reader will have to work out for himself whether
the truth is being distorted or not.

Spyridon was accused of disturbing the political balance between Greece and
Turkey by promoting Hellenic national issues, appealing for a solution to
the Cyprus problem, supporting the re-opening of the Halki Theological School,
enhancing Greek education, and advocating the return of the Parthenon Marbles
activities again described by the author in a very objective manner.
If his motives had been self-seeking, then the outcry against him by certain
individuals would have been justified, otherwise, even after the events, he
should be accorded public commendation because he showed himself to be a spiritual,
charismatic leader with specific visions. The bright moments of his time in
America were very few, linked with the hope of achieving stabilization, while
at the same time his calvary was being deliberately devised for him.

Part Three

I cannot imagine that anyone will derive satisfaction from reading those pages
regarding the preparations for his final fall. The reader is horrified by
the description of the intense behind-the-scenes activity aiming to bring
about the "deathblow" to Spyridon and his removal. These schemes
that divided the Greek-American community continue to this very day and remind
us of Christ's Passion: the would-be successors and the Phanariots with
their "Hosannahs" and then their cry of "Crucify him!",
while he, the Archbishop, remained upright on the ramparts to the bitter end.

It must have been a terrible task for the author to have to record the end
of a figure from tragedy, a pastor at that, whom some people wished to humiliate
and put out of action. This could be seen as a dramatic story of a great man,
which the author had the daring, the courage to set down without prejudice,
as she described the machinations that led to Spyridon's inglorious removal
--the ousting of no less than the Head of the Church of America.

Before concluding this review, I would like to draw attention to two further
features of the whole way in which this story is presented: 1) the citation
of the last encyclical sent by Spyridon to the Greek American community and
his spiritual children and 2) the critical assessment of Spyridon's ministry
provided by the author, together with an account of the consequences of the
Archbishop's resignation.

The author's account is marked by bitterness, disappointment and regret, but
also by outspokenness over what has transpired and what is likely to happen
in the near future. Finally, with the same courage and outspokenness, the
author stresses the great harm done to Orthodoxy that, with Spyridon's
departure, has in essence suffered a defeat at the hands of her own brethren.

Unfortunately, even after the resignation of Spyridon, the man of his own
mind, and the appointment of Dimitrios as archbishop, a man who inspires respect
and love, the same dark forces continue to undermine the prestige of Orthodoxy,
leading her in highly dangerous directions.